LEAD Southeast High School Expands College Pathways Through Little Wonders Apprenticeship Program
LEAD Public Schools is continuing to expand opportunities for students after graduation through a new partnership with Little Wonders Early Learning Center and Lipscomb University. The Little Wonders Apprenticeship Program is a workforce development initiative designed to give interested students the opportunity to work full time while earning their college degree in early childhood education.
Little Wonders is an early learning center serving children of school teachers and staff in Nashville. Through a curriculum that incorporates Montessori and bilingual education, the center focuses on creating an environment where young learners can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Now, partnering with Lipscomb University, Little Wonders is piloting this apprenticeship program. The program was recently named Tennessee’s first Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship Hub, and the initiative was designed to address growing workforce shortages in early childhood education while creating a tuition-free pathway for future educators.
For LEAD Southeast High School College Counselor Morgan Campbell, the program represents another important option for students who may be looking for a nontraditional college experience.
“This is another pathway to earn a degree while getting the benefits of working a full-time job,” Campbell said. “Students will also still have access to all of the resources Lipscomb provides to use at their disposal, including the library, student center, and office hours.”
While the apprenticeship program was originally created for Little Wonders employees, the organization expanded its partnership to include LEAD Southeast High School seniors.
Currently, one LEAD student, Genesis Jimenez Perez, is actively working through the enrollment process for the pilot year of the program. Genesis, along with other students who were accepted into the apprenticeship, had to first gain admission to Lipscomb University before enrolling in online coursework.
In addition to earning a degree, Campbell believes students in the apprenticeship program learn critical workplace and life skills that prepare them for long-term success. “Students will gain not only education from Lipscomb, but skills about what it means to be a full-time employee,” Campbell said. “This program will inherently develop time management and self-advocacy skills with its hybrid online and full-time employment design.”
As LEAD Public Schools continues preparing students for college, careers, and life after high school, partnerships like the Little Wonders Apprenticeship Program help ensure students have access to flexible and meaningful opportunities that fit their individual goals and futures.
